
Europe goes offline on U.S. orders
Europe is dependent on AI from Washington. A single executive order in the U.S. is enough to cut off an entire continent’s access to cutting-edge AI. The ban on Anthropic’s latest models highlights just how vulnerable Europe’s digital infrastructure is. Those who build their future on foreign

How universities plan the construction site of the future
The HWZ in Zurich and Mainz University of Applied Sciences are joining forces to make the construction industry more digitally fit. The focus is on new study and further education courses at the interface of real estate, data and the built environment. This will give companies better access to

Dialogue-based AI to make property searches more intuitive
ImmoScout24 has further developed its property search using artificial intelligence (AI). An AI-supported dialogue function is now available in the online search, which adapts the property search to dynamic needs. The search process should therefore lead to suitable results more

Software acquisition expands portfolio for automated passenger processes
Dormakaba is acquiring the German software company Airsphere to expand its portfolio in the airport sector. The aim is to use this broader range of solutions to improve the efficiency of passenger processes, logistics and security at airports and within airlines

AI is changing where most construction is taking place
The construction industry is one of the most digitized industries in Switzerland. At the same time, it is one of the least digitized industries in the world. This is exactly what is changing. Artificial intelligence is making inroads, not via robotic arms, but via planning, monitoring and data

Modernisation improves vertical mobility in a high-rise complex
The UOB Plaza modernisation project is featured in the April issue of *Elevator World* magazine. As part of the project, Schindler fitted the twin towers of UOB Plaza in Singapore with new lifts, escalators and smart mobility technologies between 2022 and

The future of Ticino lies between the lecture hall and emigration
Around 800 young adults leave Ticino for German-speaking or French-speaking Switzerland every year. Only half of them return. At the same time, the canton is investing more heavily in research and innovation than ever before. Whether this calculation works out will determine the economic future of

Data-driven maintenance is being adopted in new infrastructure projects
DuraMon has fitted Austria’s first underground car park with 160 of its sensors. The company, founded by CEO Yurena Seguí Femenias, thus enables long-term corrosion monitoring and data-driven maintenance. Around half of its projects are in Switzerland, with the remainder mainly in the other DACH

Zurich minimises construction risks in North America with telematics
The North American representative of insurer Zurich has unveiled a new video telematics initiative as part of National Construction Safety Week. The aim is to promote safe driving behaviour on construction projects and thus reduce risks for construction stakeholders. The initiative is part of a

St. Gallen trims its construction processes
Building in the canton of St. Gallen requires strong nerves. The government now wants to streamline the procedures, above all with digital processes and better coordination. However, it can hardly do anything about the sensitive issue of objection and appeal

30 years of KONE MonoSpace: How the machine room-less elevator has changed building planning
When KONE introduced MonoSpace, the world's first machine room-less elevator, in 1996, it was more than just a technical innovation. The system marked a turning point in elevator planning: a new principle that has permanently changed the planning and realization of

Subscription model provides flexible set-up solutions for companies
The Bern-based creative network Skollektiv is launching circular furniture on the market with Settility. The high-quality pieces of furniture, which are available on a subscription model, are designed to meet the needs of companies and organisations that do not want to furnish their premises in a

Research project promotes circular economy in the construction industry
A group of students at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) is using digital technology to recycle building materials. For their research, they visit construction sites, dismantle buildings and analyse the existing materials to develop new construction processes for external

BIM and digital twins the digital partners of buildings
Today, buildings are first built on a computer and then cast in concrete. BIM and digital twins are transforming plans into adaptive data models that slow down cost explosions, reduce operating costs and enable new services for owners, users and cities. What began as a tool to combat Berlin airport

PropTech start-up is driving the digitalisation of property management
Venture Kick, a start-up accelerator based in Schlieren, is providing CHF 150,000 in funding to the Zurich-based proptech firm Bewy. The funds will be used to further develop an AI-based property management service and to scale the start-up’s operations across

Digital platform simplifies analysis and development of building constructions
Researchers at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) have developed a digital tool for sustainable construction. On the dkon platform, users can check the impact of individual construction decisions on the environment, costs and construction

Zurich tests AI in the building permit process
Check building applications, check completeness, relieve authorities. What has long sounded like a dream of the future is now becoming a reality in the canton of Zurich. Based on a postulate from cantonal councillor Sonja Rueff-Frenkel, the cantonal government has commissioned two studies and has

How Switzerland is training the PropTech specialists of tomorrow
The digital transformation of the property industry is not possible without qualified specialists. PropTech innovation arises where property knowledge, an understanding of technology and entrepreneurial thinking come together. Switzerland has a broad and practice-orientated educational offering

Smart building becomes a location factor
Smart buildings are no longer just digitally controlled properties, but operational ESG tools. They measure energy consumption in real time, control lighting, climate and shading automatically and provide reliable data for taxonomy, ratings and regulation. Lighthouses such as The Edge in Amsterdam,

Start-up is driving the scaling up of CO2-to-raw-material solutions
DeltaSpark has received 150,000 Swiss francs from Venture Kick. The funding is intended to scale up the company’s CO2 capture process and technology and to pave the way for a new round of seed funding. The process converts CO2 into clean hydrogen and solid

When cantons go from being a drag to a location factor
Building permits determine how quickly residential, commercial and energy projects become reality. In Switzerland, analog routines and digital ambitions collide. Those who invest in functioning e-processes today gain speed, transparency and political

Zurich remains the world’s number one smart city
Zurich tops the IMD Smart City Index for the seventh year running. Out of the 148 cities surveyed, Geneva ranks third. Lausanne – which was ranked 10th last year – has climbed back up to seventh place. The index measures how smart citizens consider their city to

Start-up is driving the electrification of industrial processes
The start-up SolidWatts has secured CHF 1.8 million in seed funding from Swiss and European investors. This will accelerate the development and market launch of its solid-state high-frequency technology, which provides fossil-free process heat to energy-intensive
Robotics in the construction industry is gaining in importance thanks to new investment
The construction chemicals group Sika has taken part in a funding round for Mesh. The construction robotics start-up raised €2.9 million in the round. Mesh has developed the first process capable of producing complex reinforced concrete structures without the use of

Trust company expands offering with industry software for construction SMEs
Gewerbe-Treuhand AG now also offers its customers the AbaBau software. By expanding the range of Abacus software, Gewerbe-Treuhand wants to make a name for itself as a solution partner for industry software in the ancillary building
PropTech remains invisible and indispensable
As one of the first PropTech pioneers in Switzerland, Heinz Schwyter knows the digital development of the real estate industry like no other. In this interview, he talks about the importance of data, the role of AI, cultural and organizational hurdles and which trends and technologies will shape

How digital systems are reorganizing urban development
Smart cities mark the transition from traditional urban planning to data-based, networked and learning urban systems. According to international rankings, cities such as Zurich, Geneva and Lausanne have been among the world leaders for years. Not because of individual gadgets, but thanks to clear

A panorama of the digital property industry
The PropTech Map Switzerland reveals the strength and diversity of the digital property industry in Switzerland. Over 470 companies, numerous categories and clear regional clusters show a dynamic innovation ecosystem. However, its boundaries are becoming increasingly

